Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Leeman, left, joins his fellow council members for the first time Monday night after being sworn in to his first term on the Sedalia City Council.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TSD041916Council2.jpgWard 1 Councilman Jeff Leeman, left, joins his fellow council members for the first time Monday night after being sworn in to his first term on the Sedalia City Council.

Shari Leeman takes a photo of newly-sworn in Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Leeman and his grandson, Brody Leeman, after Monday night’s Sedalia City Council meeting.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TSD041916Council3.jpgShari Leeman takes a photo of newly-sworn in Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Leeman and his grandson, Brody Leeman, after Monday night’s Sedalia City Council meeting.

Sedalia City Clerk waits for Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Leeman to sign the documents affirming his new position during Monday night’s Sedalia City Council meeting.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TSD041916Council4.jpgSedalia City Clerk waits for Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Leeman to sign the documents affirming his new position during Monday night’s Sedalia City Council meeting.

The newly elected Sedalia City Council is now in place after four members were sworn in during Monday night’s meeting.

Ward 2 Councilwoman Bonita Nash and Ward 3 Councilman Don Meier were sworn in for their second terms, Ward 4 Councilman Tollie Rowe was sworn in for his third term, and Jeff Leeman was sworn in for his first term as Ward 1 councilman, filling the seat of Jim Cunningham.

“It’s exciting. As we go forward here it’s going to be a learning experience and I hope to contribute to the actual running of the city,” Leeman said during the reception after the meeting.

The new council voted on a new Mayor Pro-Tem after the swearing in ceremony and unanimously elected Rowe.

During the pre-council meeting, council heard the Citizen’s Committee for Smart Growth annual report from Chairman Jennifer Langdon. She reported on several aspects of the committee, including the Tree Board, local trails and recycling.

In 2015, the Get Moving Sedalia program was created to randomly reward citizens for utilizing trails in Sedalia by giving out free T-shirts and water bottles to people on the trail. The Tree Board also received another TRIM grant, identified hazardous trees to be taken care of by city workers, and hosted an Arbor Day celebration. There will be an Arbor Day event at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Smith-Cotton High School with several activities celebrating Sedalia’s fifth anniversary of being a Tree City USA.

This year Sedalia will be getting bike lanes in portions of the city. $5,000 has been included in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget for this project.

“The reason why (the bike lanes weren’t constructed in 2015) was because with all the sewer work and road construction we would’ve had to redo the bike lanes after they were put in, which would’ve been a waste of money and effort,” Langdon said. “In 2016 there is $5,000 in the budget for bike lanes. You will start seeing an educational outreach soon. This is something that is brand new to Sedalia, drivers have never experienced it, so we want to make sure we work with the Police Department, Traffic Advisory Committee and the community so that everyone can be on board and be prepared.”

Finance Director Kelvin Shaw gave a monthly finance report that included year-end numbers.

“The year ended strong with the 32.8 percent increase year-over-year for the month of March, which brought the year-to-date, which had been running at about 2 percent, came in at 5.1 percent,” he said. “Actually a $577,000 increase year-over-year, which was pretty healthy. We budgeted a 4 percent increase and that exceeded our expectations.”

During the meeting council also:

• Approved 16 appointments to various boards and commissions.

• Approved a recommendation for the purchase of 38 Panasonic body-worn cameras for the Sedalia Police Department from Turn Key Mobile for $47,051 through the State of Missouri Cooperative Procurement Program.

• Approved bids and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Chester Bross Construction Co. for the mill and overlay of various city streets.

• Approved bids and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Preferred Construction for the sidewalk project on Engineer Avenue from Broadway Boulevard to 16th Street.

• Approved bids and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Duke’s Root Control Inc. for the chemical root control of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system.

• Approved bids and an ordinance approving and accepting an agreement with Poort Excavating LLC for storm drainage improvements.

• Approved a bid for trap rock.

• Approved an ordinance approving and accepting Amendment 1 to an agreement with Cooperative Workshops Inc. for retrieval of recyclable materials and processing recyclable materials. According to information in the meeting packet, this amendment extends the current agreement for 90-days while the city reviews cost-saving options.

• Approved an ordinance amending Ordinance 8307 by repealing Section 2 by removing the school zone designation on 24th Street from its intersection with Ingram Avenue to 250 feet east. This change was unanimously recommended by the Traffic Advisory Commission. The Sedalia Bible Church no longer needs the school zone.

• Approved an ordinance amending Ordinance 9940 relating to amending an existing classification and job description for Plant Maintenance Mechanic for the Water Pollution Control Department (WPC) and adding a classification and job description for Assistant Plant Maintenance Mechanic.

• Approved an ordinance amending Section 7.15(C) (controlled substance and alcohol testing policy — applicability) of the city’s Personnel Regulations Manual by adding the title of Assistant Plant Maintenance Mechanic to employee positions required to have a commercial driver’s license.

• Approved a quote of $47,450.53 for the purchase of a Bobcat skid steer for the Street Department from Forklifts of Central Mo through the State of Missouri Cooperative Procurement Program.

• Approved a bid for an equipment hauling trailer for the Street Department.

• Approved a quote for the emergency purchase of six Hach Flow Meters for WPC from Heartland Controls for $18,225.

Cunningham and Ward 1 Councilwoman JoLynn Turley were absent during the pre-council meeting. Cunningham was present during the regular meeting but abstained from all votes, as he no longer lives in Ward 1 as of Friday.